Dietitian-Weight Management Specialist Practitioner

Livewell Southwest; Plymouth; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A community health service provider in Plymouth is seeking an enthusiastic Registered Dietitian to join the Weight Management team as a Band 6 Specialist Practitioner. You will work with patients struggling to manage their health and weight, providing essential clinical interventions. The role entails both community and hospital-based work, with a hybrid working model that includes some evening hours. Successful candidates will have strong interpersonal skills and relevant qualifications in nutrition and dietetics.

Benefits

Protected CPD time

Training pathways

Leadership programs

Qualifications

• Experience of working in weight management or health improvement service.
• Specialist knowledge related to Weight Management.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.

Responsibilities

• Provide a specialist role in the assessment and management of patients.
• Manage a clinical caseload without direct supervision.
• Participate in evidence-based audits and research.

Skills

Community service experience

Interpersonal skills

Ability to organise and prioritise

Ability to work autonomously

Ability to cope with stressful situations

Education

Registered Dietitian

BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics

HCPC registration

Counselling qualification

Job description

Would you like to work with people who have adiverse range of needs, who also struggle to manage their health and weight?The Weight Management team are an experienced multi-disciplinary team, offeringsupport to patients using individual and group interventions. We work closelywith other agencies and together withthe local Bariatric Surgical Team.

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic RegisteredDietitianas a Band 6 Specialist Practitioner to be an integral part of all aspects ofthe service. This will include working with Weight Management patients andpatients that are either preparing for or who have undergone bariatric surgery.You will be providing a wide range of clinical interventions to support thehealth and wellbeing of this complex group of patients.

The post is based at the Cumberland Centre witha Hybrid working pattern and requires some evening work.

Informal enquiries to: Kirsty Settle, (WeightManagement Team Manager) on 434623 or at [e-mail]

Main duties of the job

The main duties of the role include; providing a specialist service to patients with morbid obesity and co-morbiditiesto assist with managing their weight.To provide education, coaching, signposting and guidance to patients on a one-to-one or group basis. Being a resource for health and social careprofessionals, carers, relatives or other non-professional contacts. To be an integral member of the MDT to support decision making, providing education, training and dissemination ofinformation to all healthcare professionals.To be an autonomous practitioner, holding a clinical caseload and working without directsupervision. To be a Registered Dietitian, working in line with all requirement of the profession.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route; please refer to the Direct Gov website for more information with regards to eligibility.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.

All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning socialenterprise delivering integrated health and social care services acrossPlymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts ofDevon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sportscentres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, andcollaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, whileempowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, inshaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the righttime and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people leadhealthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, trainingpathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the CareCertificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorshipprograms ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from allsections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mentalhealth, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during theapplication process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

To provide a specialist role in the assessment and management of patients referred to the WeightManagement service from primary and secondary care.To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner. To be a Registered Dietitian, working in line with all requirement of the profession.

In the absence of the Weight Management Clinical lead to manage the day-to-day delivery of theservice.To be responsible for own caseload, working with support from Weight Management Clinical Leadas required.To undertake all aspects of clinical practice as an autonomous practitioner. Manage Clinical riskwithin own caseload. Take part in service audit to assess the effectiveness of the service.Participate in evidence-based audit and research projects to further own and team clinical practice.Provide support to other multi-disciplinary members of the Weight Management team as required.

5.1 Responsibility for People Management.

To act as a role model for all staff and students demonstrating clinical skills and high standards of practiceand professional conduct.To participate in team activities so as to develop and consolidate a cohesive and supportive team ensuringopenness within the team.To assist with the supervision and co-ordination of junior staff in the absence of the service lead.Ensure that own practice and that of junior staff in the absence of the service lead meets thestandards set for the service.To have a flexible approach to the working day in order to respond to the needs of the serviceeffetely.

5.2 Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources.

To use resources responsibly and to report any problems with equipment in line withorganisational/service guidelines.

5.3 Responsibility for administration.

Maintain accurate and up to date patient records and inform other professionals about changes inpatients condition.Participate in the collection and gathering of data for audit purposes on a weekly basis. To assist in the preparation and delivery of the teaching programme for patients to help them learnto manage weightThe post holder is required to comply with all infection control policies and guidance, attend relevantupdates and report issues of concern to their immediate line manager (if no action or explanationreceived, then it is the individuals responsibility to escalate to Director of Operations/Chief ExecutiveOffice).To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records oncaseload

5.4 Responsibility for people who use our services.

To be professional and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the managementof patients in your care.To undertake comprehensive clinical and social assessments of patients with morbid obesityincluding those with diverse presentations of multi pathologies; use of developed specialist clinicalreasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate assessment of theirconditionFormulate and deliver individual treatment and care programme based on sound developedspecialist knowledge of evidence-based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment,reasoning skills and knowledge of treatments available.Formulate judgement involving complex facts and interpretation relating to accurate progress andrecommend best course of intervention and continued care for patients.To manage clinical risks within own patient caseload and refer to appropriate multi-disciplinary team.Where required, to follow patients up prior to referral for bariatric surgery and to monitor and offersupport to enable patients to self-manage their condition and treatment effectively.Provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information, where persuasive, motivational,negating, empathic and re-assurance skills are required both verbal and non-verbal, to communicateeffectively with patients, carers, GPs and consultant's patient's progress and treatment programmes.This will include patients who may have difficulty understanding or communicating, e.g. patients maybe dysphasic, depressed, deaf, blind or may have difficulty accepting diagnosis. When working inthe community settings not directly supervised but able to contact Weight Management lead foradvice/support and discuss own caseload routinely.Provide psychological support to patients who are anxious and depressed as directed.Develop links with other professional and voluntary bodies to ensure maximum effectiveness of theservice and patient care and community support.To be responsible for organizing and planning own workload to meet the service and patientpriorities.Plan, manage and prioritize clinical caseload delegating patients to other staff members as requiredto generate a caseload for them. To demonstrate effective communication with patients, staff andother members of the multi-disciplinary team. When communicating with patients it should be at the appropriate level for patients to understand such as patients suffering from terminal illness,dementia, disability, visually impairment and /or hearing impairment.Act as a patient advocate as required ensuring individual needs, preferences and choicesare delivered by the Service.

5.5 Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments.

To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintaina portfolio which reflects personal development.Assist in maintaining current knowledge of evidence-based practice of junior staff within the team.Participate in research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery.Assist in evaluation of the service provided to that of primary and secondary care to developimprovements to service delivery and clinical practice, to ensure high standardsand innovative practice are maintained.Make recommendations on changes to Clinical Practice within Weight Management and present toline manager with full responsibility for implementation

6. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

Patients and their families will have complex requirements in relation to obesity, obesity surgery andrelated co-morbidities. The environment in which this is undertaken is highly emotive and canoccasionally be hostile/antagonistic/challenging in nature. Information is of a complex, oftensensitive nature that is life changing and requires skillful assessment of the individuals ability tocomprehend/understand; therefore tact, diplomacy and motivational interviewing skills are essentialalongside the ability to overcome barriers to understanding.Daily concentration on making patient assessments and making recommendation of treatments topatients and other health professionals.Regular interruptions in daily work pattern from medical staff, patients, GPs and junior members ofthe Weight Management team seeking support and advice.

7. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

Occasional encounters with rude or verbal aggressionFrequently exert moderate physical effort when transporting items of equipment required in carryingout patient assessments and educational sessions where appropriate. Be able to carry our frequent position changes including sitting, standing and walking when engagingwith patients. To operate a VDU every dayOccasional interruptions in daily work pattern, from patient, GPs and other health professionals / agencies

Person Specification

Experience

• Community service experience
• Experience of working in weight
• management or health improvement
• service

Specific Skills

• Interpersonal skills
• Ability to organise, prioritise and
• delegate
• Ability to work within a team and
• autonomously.
• Ability to cope with
• stressful/emotional situations.

Additional Criteria

• Flexible working including evenings as required.
• Effective team worker
• Proactive, with an ability to set up new initiatives
• Self motivated
• Empathetic and approachable
• Flexible regarding duties and ability to cope with change

Qualifications

• Registered Dietician
• BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics
• HCPC registration
• Evidence of on-going professional
• development
• Counselling qualification

Knowledge

• Specialist Knowledge related to
• Weight Management
• Evidence of clinical knowledge
• Experience working with other
• Evidence of participation in
• audit/research
• Evidence of CPD maintained in a
• Contribute to clinical education

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Full-time,Part-time,Job share,Flexible working